Deep Litter

[Guest]

And last two pics; again sorry about quality:-

[speedbird]

i use deep litter only use in the nest boxes & once i wean the young a small section or the floor has deep litter of shavings & straw a,along with a basket  also filled with the same which i feed & put drinker on

the deep litter remains till all young have perched up

[westy]

i must say bruno nice pics

[jimmy white]

brilliant pics bruno

[BCBrian]

I've experimented with a great many management systems over the last 35 years.

 

The finest I've found, without a doubt, is the one I started using last year. With this method I use a deep (four to six inches) bed of hay (not straw) on the floors. The thick topping of hay acts to dry the droppings, as it doesn't really compress much, and the dry powdered dropping sift their way down through the many layers until they accumulate as a dry powder underneath the layer of hay. It is not dusty (except when I rake through it - to remove clumps under perches) and it smells great - and the birds love using it for nesting too. I did this after reading about a medical Dr. who was on the verge of giving up his birds due to his allergies to them. This method, he said made it possible to keep them again. The reason hay is specified (rather than the older oft-mentioned straw) is because it isn't hollow, doesn't compress, and actually forms a layered matrix through which the dropping fall though and while doing so, dry totally.The layers act keep the dust down underneath the grass.

 

I clean the hay out totally once a year, while wearing a mask, after the moult is finished.

 

If you aren't totally happy with your present way of doing things - you might want to give this method a try. I'm glad I did.

[westy]

i think that a scrape out twice a day for me. but for most of you all it will be best to use deep litter.

[Guest]

Hay sounds great, but I suffer from bad Hay-fever in the summer and wouldnt be able to step foot in the loft, even with the easy bed and bit of dust it causes makes it impossible sometimes in the summer to stay in the loft too long.

[westy]

well now been thinking of it but i find a scrape out twice a day dose the job for me.

[jimmy white]

WITH A DEEP LITTER OF HAY OR SHAVINGS I WOULD KEEP MY YE OPEN FOR RED MITE IN THE WARMER WEATHER, AND ANY KIND OF STRAW, BEING USE CAN BE THE SOURCE OF ASPERGILIOSIS,[DUE TO A FUNGI IT PRODUCES]

[Guest TAMMY_1]

I SUFFER FROM PIGEON LUNG AND I THINK I MUST HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING AVAILABLE FOR THE FLOOR TO LESSEN THE AMMOUNT OF TIME CLEANING OUT,ONE OF THE BEST WAS A WOODBASED CAT LITTER WHICH BREAKS THE DROPPINGS DOWN GREAT BUT I FOUND THE MESS BEING WALKED ABOUT WAS NOT FOR ME SO I HAVE NOW REVERTED BACK TO SCRAPING AND BRUSHING OUT EVERYDAY AND THIS WAY THERE IS LESS DUST TO BREATHE .

[westy]

a old fancier has joined the club and uses deep litter like bruno as he has a bad back he finds it good with his conditions but can never find anyone to clean it for him so i have offered to clean it for him so i will get a taste of what it is like.

[Guest slugmonkey]

If you have a garden or house plants save some it is wonderful stuff

[speedbird]

once ybs all perched up they are cleaned out daily

[THE FIFER]

I TRIED A FEW (DEEP LITTER) BUT WENT BACK TO SCRAPING, I USE HAY (BOUGHT FROM THE PET SHOP) FOR MY NEST BOWLS, SITS GOOD IN THEM JUST LIKE NEST FELTS, AS SOON AS YOUNGSTERS START COMING OUT NEST BOWLS I CHANGE IT.

[westy]

same as i do fifer.

[westy]

I SUFFER FROM PIGEON LUNG AND I THINK I MUST HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING AVAILABLE FOR THE FLOOR TO LESSEN THE AMMOUNT OF TIME CLEANING OUT,ONE OF THE BEST WAS A WOODBASED CAT LITTER WHICH BREAKS THE DROPPINGS DOWN GREAT BUT I FOUND THE MESS BEING WALKED ABOUT WAS NOT FOR ME SO I HAVE NOW REVERTED BACK TO SCRAPING AND BRUSHING OUT EVERYDAY AND THIS WAY THERE IS LESS DUST TO BREATHE .

 

i know someone who used wood based litter and the pigeons eat it :o i know shocking, he had a few that died from it ect ect. and what about deep littrer during breeding.

[Guest shadow]

I have used various types of deep litter never saw birds eating eat they may taste it then regurgiate it, found the best one to use if you want to is one made from chopped cardboard marketed for stable use can not remember the name sounded french most feed stores stock it.

[johnny11]

Aubiose

[Guest shadow]

Aubiose

Thanks thats the one

 

 

[jupiter_19630]

I use bird sand, just enough to cover the floor. Dries up the droppings. I change the sand weekly, very little scraping an no dust.

[westy]

i use nothing now

[Guest]

easy bed

[frank-123]

where do you get easibed in lanarkshire sammy

[Guest]

dont know bart maybe someone can tell us,what about galloway,mcleod for horses aint it see if u can find out

[Guest]

Ive tried them all shavings /cat litter /sand&lime straw the lot i think once you have it down for a month or so its then you start to get the benifect the birds seam to look better its got good points and bad we tend to reach for too many medicenes when we are scraping out and notice a loose dropping or two but we dont stop to think what the birds have just been fed linseed etc so deep litter cuts that out however if their is something starting in the loft you might not see it untill its too late ive even tried disifecting after every scrape that was a big mistake killed all the friendly backterea a mistake alot make i think if its down right and dry doesnt do any harm i remember going into John Crowther lofts there was a path through the sh** mounds of dropping 18 ins high but the birds were shinning liks a shilling (10p to the young ones)